Rocke Fine-tunes Talent

On Fau's Soccer Field

September 7, 1993|By SHARON ROBB Staff Writer

BOCA RATON — Had it not been for his love of soccer, Jason Rocke may have ended up at Carnegie Hall.

A gifted student-athlete and concert pianist, Rocke, one of seven children, grew up in Santa Cruz, Trinidad - a small, beach town where kids start playing with a soccer ball before they learn to walk. "I was in diapers," he said.

Lloyd, a policeman, and Joan Rocke, a middle school teacher, exposed their children to music and sports at an early age. Jason was a sponge, soaking up soccer, track, table tennis and music. He gave piano recitals in Trinidad, was a two-time leading scorer and high school soccer Player of the Year and broke all his older brother's school records in track.

Rocke said he knew his parents wouldn't have enough money to send all his brothers and sisters to college, and was determined to earn a college scholarship.

"I come from a large family. I knew my parents wouldn't be able to send each and every one of us to school," Rocke said. "If I could ease the burden by getting a college scholarship that would help my family, I thought. My brother did that and I tried to follow in his footsteps."

Rocke learned soccer at an early age.

"I would play in the streets every day," Rocke said. "My parents never restricted me. We used cones for the goalposts and the sides of the road were the boundaries. Every one plays soccer in Trinidad. It is the sport."

He turned down several offers to play soccer and run track, including West Virginia Wesleyan, where his older brother Colin plays soccer. He chose instead to concentrate on soccer and academics.

Rocke's decision was music to the ears of FAU soccer coach Kos Donev, particularly since FAU moved into NCAA Division I this season.

"Potentially, he could break every school soccer record," Donev said. "He is probably the best soccer player we have had at FAU, he's right up top. He is a potential NCAA All-American candidate."

Rocke, 19, a sophomore forward, had no trouble adjusting to college soccer or academics. As a freshman, he led scoring (12 goals, 3 assists), one goal shy of breaking the single-season scoring record. He was named the team's Most Valuable Player and voted to the All-South region team. He was selected to the freshman honor society, earned the highest GPA award from the university and was named to the All-America National Dean's List.

"I am very, very competitive," Rocke said. "I don't like to lose, whether it's on the field or in the classroom. I would like to believe I'm one of the better players."

He is considered a hero in his hometown, mobbed by reporters and islanders when he goes home. "People call me I don't even know," he said. "I have reporters call me from Trinidad up here every week."

He still manages to find time to play the piano. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is his favorite. He has no interest, however, to pursue a career in music. "It relaxes me," Rocke said. "Sometimes when I'm stressed out I just go and practice."

There is talk of playing for the Trinidad national team, pursuing a pro contract in Europe like his brother and competing in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Trinidad has never made the Top 6 at the Olympics. Most of its good players are playing college soccer in the United States and cannot commit to participate in national team camps.

A business economics major, Rocke said he would someday like to open a restaurant, perhaps specializing in Trinidad delicacies. "I can cook," he said.

His quickness from track (he's run a 47.0 relay split for 400 meters) makes him a threat from anywhere on the field, Donev said. "His speed and ability to lose players with and without the ball always makes it difficult to mark him," Donev said.

At St. Mary's Preparatory, an all-boys Catholic school, where Rocke led in scoring and was a Under-16 and Under-19 Player of the Year, his coaches Ken Butchedr and Hayden Martin said they knew he was special. He didn't play for an organized club team until age 14. Opposing coaches even sing his praise.

"He is a top-notch Division I player," said University of Central Florida coach Bob Winch after UCF lost to FAU 1-0 Sunday in its season-opener. Rocke, despite nagging ankle and foot injuries, had an assist.

"That kind of speed is hard to defense. He's going to cause some problems for a lot of teams," Winch said.

Former FAU assistant coach Gerald Queen recruited him. Queen took a recruiting trip to Trinidad for another player and heard about Rocke. He never saw him play but went on recommendations from other coaches and offered him a full scholarship.

"We knew he was the one after we heard about him," Donev said. "We didn't have to see him play. I think what convinced him about us was we had an academically-sound school, which he was looking for, and the fact South Florida is closer to Trinidad and has more of a tropical atmosphere than West Virginia.

"He is not the typical island player," Donev said. "He is goal-hungry. He loves to score and loves to go at the goal. Typical islanders really try, but don't go directly to the goal as he does."